Ransom

Ransom is a well-crafted psychological thriller about a rich couple, Tom and Kate Mullen, whose nine-year-old son Sean is kidnapped. Tom owns an airline which he built up himself from scratch, so he is able to pay the 2 million dollars the kidnappers demand.

The couple secretly go to the FBI, who urge them to pay. FBI agent Lonnie Hawkins can report that in 7 out of 10 kidnapping cases the child was returned unharmed, but when, during the agreed exchange, the kidnappers try to trick Tom out of the money without his seeing any sign of Sean, Tom begins to doubt that this case is one of the 7.

Against the will of the FBI and Kate, Tom offers the ransom during a news broadcast as a bounty to whoever can lead to the criminals' arrest. If the kidnappers themselves bring the boy back, Tom will withdraw the bounty so they can walk away as free men.

A power struggle develops between Tom, who has turned stubborn and will not put up with any more tricks, and the gang's mastermind, Jimmy Shaker, who will do anything for money.

There is a little twist to the story, for Tom Mullen, who is the dream of the hard-working, successful, independently acting all-American hero, has skeletons in his closet. A bribery case in which Tom was acquitted, even though he was guilty of the charges, comes back to haunt him when he initially believes that the innocent man Jackie Brown, who went behind bars, is the organiser of the kidnapping.

Ransom is one of those films where surprise is an important element, so it was really rather a pity that various media revealed Tom's move of offering the ransom as a bounty even before the premiere - it ought to have been allowed to come as a surprise.

Ransom is solid, indeed sober, mainstream entertainment.